Directory board and the like



- Oct. 29, 1935. J; A, WEBER DIRECTORY BOARD AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 6, 1934 sis- Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

stalled as a whole in the framework or housing which may be provided by the building contractor.

Another'object of the invention is the provision of an improved directory board in which complete lines of printed matter may be conveniently removed and other lines substituted or the blank space closed up by transplacing the other adjacent printed matter so that the sign may be changed or parts thereof removed without removing all of the letters.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved directory structure in which line units of different width may be employed for letters of different height and in which such line units may be inserted as desired in any part of the sign or removed as desired without necessity for the use of any special tools.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved line unit for directory boards capable of supporting the removable letters provided for such directory boards and adapted to be removed as a unit or installed as a unit in the directory board by merely pushing the line unit into place where it is removably yet firmly held. I

Other objects and advantages of thepinvention will be apparent from the following description and drawing, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the sev eral views.

Referring to the single sheet of drawings accompanying this specification,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a building installation, including the directory board unit in the usual housing provided with a pivoted glass window;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the housing and directory board showing the structure of one corner thereof;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view in full size of a fragment of one of the line units;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through one of the line units, taken on the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of one of the improved line units employed in the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the securing device for the line unit, taken on the plane of the line 6, 6 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of a letter and a period showing the securing flanges which hold these letters on the line units.

Referring to Fig. 1, ll) indicates in its entirety 10 the complete directory board, which is preferably housed in a frame or casing, which may form a part of the building. The frame or casing, which is indicated by the numeral II, encloses the directory board unit I2, which may be manufactured, shipped and installed as a unit in the frame constructed by the building contractor. The frame or casing II maycomprise'side frame members I3 fixedly mounted upon the wall I4, which is supported by the studs I5, and the frame is provided with a door Ilia hingedly mounted at I! and having one or more glass windows I8.

The directory board unit I2 may comprise a backing I9 which is preferably constructed of multiple ply wood, such as the three ply backing illustrated, the various plies of which have their grain extending in directions transversely to each other and which are secured together by gluing or other conventional means.

The backing I9 is rectangular in form and of sufiicient size to fit in the frame I I, and upon the front face of the backing I9 there are secured the top frame member 20, side frame members 2| and 22, bottom frame member 23, and one or more intermediate frame members 24. The top and frame members 20, 23 may comprise lumber strips of rectangular cross section, nailed or otherwise secured to the forward face of the backing I2 along and flush with the upper and lower edges thereof. The inner faces of these top and bottom frame members 20, 23 merely form the upper and lower walls of a recess 25, which is adapted to receive the line units, and the line units abut flatly against the upper and lower frame members 2!}, when the board unit frame is filled with line units.

The side frame members 2|, 22 may be identical in form, and therefore it is only necessary to describe one of these members. Side frame unit 2| is shown in section in Fig. 2, and it preferably comprises a lumber strip which is rabbeted at 26 for the purpose of providing a space 21a within which the fingers can be inserted to engage the ends of the line units 28. The back side of the side frame strip 2I is flat, and the strip is secured to the forward face of the backing |2 with its outer face flush with the outer edge of the ply wood backing l2, as shown in Fig. 2. The side frame strip 2| is preferably provided with a flat inner surface 21 and with a beveled camming surface 28a at its upper and inner edge for a purpose further to be described. The surface 21 is preferably left flat so that the line units can be moved up and down into any position. This opposite side frame strip 22 is identical in shape, but oppositely disposed; that is, it has its fiat retaining surface 21 and its beveled'camming surface 28a turned toward the right in Fig. 1, as distinguished from those of strip 2| which have the same surfaces turned toward the left.

In case the directory board unit is to comprise only one panel of line units, it would only be necessary to use one of the strips 2|, 22, and the strip employed at the opposite end of the line units would be of the type of strip 24, shown as a partition strip in Fig. 2. The partition strip 24 may comprise a strip of substantially T cross section, having a body 29 which is substantially rectangular in section, with the oppositely extending parts 39a and 3| a which overlie the faces of the line units 28 at their ends. In other words, the partition strip 29 is rabbeted at each side to provide recesses for engaging the ends of the line units 28, and the partition strip 29 may be secured to the backing |2 by nails or other convenient fastening means, and generally extends vertically cf the directory board unit to divide the unit into two or more compartments, depending upon the size and arrangement of the directory board unit.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, these are sectional views and views in perspective of the preferred form of line unit employed. Each of the line units may comprise a strip of lumber, wood, or other suitable material of substantially rectangular cross section and of a length slightly less than the distance between the partition strip 29 and one of the side frame strips 2| or 22. The face of each line strip is preferably provided with a pair of grooves 30, 3|, the grooves being substantially rectangular in section and being located in the face of the line strip, extending longitudinally of the line strip at a predetermined distance from its edges and parallel to each other. The width of the grooves is such that the securing flanges 32, 33 carried by the letters and periods or other punctuation marks or symbols are resiliently and frictionally clamped between the layers of felt cloth or other cloth with which the grooves 30, 3| are lined.

The depth of the grooves 30, 3| is such that sufficient depth is provided to receive the flanges 32, 33. The spacing of the grooves 39, 3| and the be placed upon these line units and the letters secured in any of the various grooves provided.

.The felt cloth or other cloth covering 34 may be made of any color, but is frequently green, as green is a popular color for employment with white letters. The cloth covering may be secured to the strip by gluing, and preferably extends be mounted as shown in Fig. 6.

35 into engagement with the beveled camming over the top of the strip, down the face thereof, into and out of each of the grooves, and under the bottom of the strip. The letters, such as those shown in Fig. 7, may comprise letters formed of sheet material, such as metal, celluloid, cardboard 5 paper, or any suitable stiff material, and the letters are preferably provided with the securing flanges 32 at the top. The periods, such as that shown in Fig. 8, are preferably provided with securing flanges 33 extending horizontally at the bottom so that the letters are secured in the upper groove and the periods or other punctuation devices secured in the lower groove, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, these are views in perspective of the line unit and its securing device, shown in section, respectively. The line unit 28 is preferably provided at one end with a resiliently mounted camming plunger 35, which may The line strip may be provided with a bore 31 extending axially of the strip and located adjacent the backing thereof so that when the strip is in place the plunger 35 will engage the flat surface 21 (Fig. 2). Bore 31 fixedly holds a metal sleeve 38 which 25 may be a drive fit in the bore 31 and the sleeve 38 slidably and resiliently supports the plunger 35. For this purpose sleeve 33 may be provided with a bore 39 in its inner end for slidably receiving the stem 48 of the plunger.

The sleeve 38 is substantially cylindrical in form and adapted to slidably engage the circular head 4| of the plunger 35, the outer part of which is provided with a substantially spherical end 42. The inner end 43 of the stem 49 of plunger 85 may be riveted over to provide a stop for limiting the outward movement of the plunger, and a helical coil spring 44 may be compressed between the end of sleeve 38 and the annular shoulder 45 An outwardly extending annular flange 46 carried by the sleeve engages the end of the wooden line strip 28 and determines the final position of the plunger 35 with respect to its projection from the end of the line strip. The extreme end of the 45 plunger 41 may be slightly flattened, if desired, for the purpose of more firmly engaging the surface 21 of the wooden frame member 2| or 22.

The line strip 28 is also preferably formed with a transversely extending groove 49 in the plunger 50 end 50 located in-front of the plunger 42 adja cent the space 21a. so that the fingers may more readily engage the end of the line strip to pull it out. Any suitable depression which provides a shoulder behind which the finger can engage may be used, but a roove 49 of rectangular section is preferred on account of the facility for forming such grooves with ordinary wood working machinery, and such a groove has been found to be very efiicacious.

The line strip 28 may be removably installed in the directory board unit by inserting the end 48 of the line unit underneathihe part 3| of the partition strip and then forcing the ball plunger 6 surface 280.. The engagement between the sloping surface 28a and the curved part 42 of the head of the plunger 35 causes the plunger to be cammed back in the sleeve 38 and permits the line unit to be moved into the position of Fig. 2.

The flat end 41 of the plunger flatly engages the flat side surface 21 of the side frame member 2|. The friction and engagement is such and the compression of the spring 44 is such 7 that the line unit is firmly held in place, but, if desired, it may be removed very conveniently without the use of any tools by inserting the finger in the space 21a at the end of the line unit adjacent the beveled surface 28a and pulling outward on that end of the line unit with the forefinger. Any line unit may be removed without disturbing any of the others, even though it be in the middle of the printed matter, and another line unit may be inserted, or the fingers may be used to close the space by sliding other line units upward, in which case the ends of the line units will slide along the strips 2|, 22, 24, the ball plungers 35 slidably engaging the surfaces 21, but retaining the line units wherever they are placed.

' It is not necessary, therefore, when one of the tenants of a building moves, to change all of the letters or names which follow his name, but all that is necessary is to remove the line unit containing the name of the former tenant, and the other line units may be shifted up to close that space. The line unit containing the name of the new tenant may be inserted alphabetically at any particular point by shoving apart the adjacent line units, and all of this may be accomplished without the necessity for the use of any tools or other special devices.

It will be apparent that the present invention permits the changing of the printed matter on the directory board unit with the utmost facility and a minimum amount of labor, and any number of line units, or line units of any width, may be inserted or removed very quickly, thereby saving a great deal of time and labor over the devices of the prior art, in which the letters were secured upon boards provided with a multiplicity of spaced grooves.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the 5 invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

In a directory board, the combination of a sup- Y porting frame having forwardly projecting walls and a back against which line units may be 10- cated, one of said forwardly projecting walls being provided with an overhanging shoulder to be located in front of line units, with a. plurality of line units, each line unit comprising a member having means for securing'indicia thereon, said member having an axially projecting spring pressed plunger at one end projecting therefrom for engaging a flat surface on one of said forwardly projecting walls whereby said members may be frictionally held by said plunger but are slidably mounted, said plunger sliding on said flat surface so that any member may be removed and the space between the others closed up by sliding the other members together, said forwardly projecting wall being formed with a recessed portion adjacent the end of said members and said members being formed with a shoulder for engaging a finger oi the operator when said finger is inserted in said recessed portion to remove the members without the use of tools.

JOHN A. WEBER. 

